Armagh Observatory reports the hottest daily air temperature maximum recorded from its weather station, following the daily reading that was made on 23 July 2021 at 10:00am BST.
Using its manual station, the maximum temperature was measured at 31.3°C at a time of 15:19 BST on 22 July, 2021. The Observatory will work with the UK Met Office following a well-established assessment processes to verify the provisional temperature reported.
Armagh Observatory holds the longest weather record on the island of Ireland, and one of the longest in the British Isles. The data from the manual station extends all the way back to 1794 (227 years ago), with daily min/max measurements starting in 1844 (177 years ago).
Speaking about the latest weather readings, Professor Michael Burton from The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium said: “If verified, this is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Armagh since records began in the late 18th century. It is hotter than the previous record high temperature of 30.5°C that was recorded the previous day, 21 July, 2021. Thus, the temperature record in Armagh has been broken for two consecutive days.”
Manual measurements of the weather are taken every day on site at the Observatory. The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium holds centuries of valuable archives to discover everything from what the weather was like on any day, to exploring meteorological data. This information can also be found online at www.armagh.space.